


A Chance Encounter

by Emimar



Series: Tolkien Twitter RP Shorts Modern AU [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-20
Updated: 2015-04-20
Packaged: 2018-03-24 23:37:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3788563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emimar/pseuds/Emimar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the first part of the Modern AU Tolkein Twitter Shorts Series.<br/>It has been pieced together from quite a long series of tweets, so I hope that it is all here. There is still some more to go, and I had to delete it the first time because site was acting up. Hopefully it will be alright now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Chance Encounter

Lyndheid  
She decides that she can't really be bothered to go back to her flat. She doesn't want to face her flat mates and instead goes to the Foul and Fetus. She finds that the place is packed and the only seat available is at a table where a young man is sat drinking a pint of real ale. She smiles at him in an awkward and shy fashion. "Is this seat taken?"

Kili  
He flashes a smile at the young lass. "No. I'm here on my own this evening. You can join me if you like."

Lyndheid  
She sits down a little awkwardly. "I'm sorry to impose on you like this, but there aren't any other free seats around."

Kili  
"You aren't intruding at all. It often gets busy in here at this time of day, so there's no need to worry."

Lyndheid  
"I don't normally go out to pubs to be honest. I'm a student and usually spend my time studying, but my flatmates are driving me crazy. I never get a moments peace from them."

Kili  
" I'm sorry to hear that. I live on my own. My family don't actually approve of my choice of occupation. I'm a musician and they think it's a waste of time. They would have preferred it if I'd chosen a more traditional path."

Lyndheid  
"I cannot say that my chosen occupation is traditional, either. I suppose it would have been if I was more interested in the medical side of the biological sciences, but I am not. I'm more interested in Zoology and ecology. There isn't a lot of money to be made in it, I'm afraid, but it sure costs a lot."

Kili  
He smiles. "I guess you love animals, then? I have a wee puppy at home. I need someone to care for him when I'm doing my gigs."

Lyndheid  
"A puppy? I used to have a dog a long time ago. I'd like one now, but I can't keep pets where I live."

Kili  
"I'm sorry to hear that. Oh, I'm a bit rude. I've not told you my name. I'm Kili."

Lyndheid  
" Don't worry about it. I didn't tell you my name, either. I'm Lyndheid."

Kili  
"It's nice to meet you, Lyndheid. Would you like me to buy you a drink? I was going to have something to eat as well. You can join me if you like. I'll pay, so you don't have to worry."

Lyndheid  
She hesitates a little, wondering if she should accept, but she has no money until the money from her aunt goes in to her account in a few days time and her flatmates have used up all her food." Alright." She chooses the cheapest thing on the menu because she doesn't want to be in debt to anyone.

Kili  
He notices her hesitation, and the fact that she chose the cheapest thing, but he doesn't comment on it.

Lyndheid  
It seems to take an age for the food to arrive because the pub was extremely busy and she tries to think of something to talk about while they wait, and she thinks that it would be best to ask him about his music. "What genre of music do you play? I was going to go to a performance of the Planets later on this week if I had the time. It might be expensive to live here, but most of the music performances are free or don't cost a lot."

Kili  
He grins when she mentions music. "I am trained in classical music, but I play heavy rock, metal and alternative. I like playing those genres because the music is complex."

Lyndheid  
She smiles shyly. "I like metal for that reason too. I can't stand dance music, but my flatmates drive me mad with it because they're constantly playing at the stupid parties they have. It's amazing that I get anything done at all. I would move out of there, but the contract is difficult to get out of, all the other places are expensive and when I've asked the university to move me elsewhere, they can't because everywhere is full. I'm sorry for the negativity, but I've just had a really awful day."

Kili  
"I hope that you don't count meeting me among the awful things that has happened to you today."

Lyndheid  
She grins at him. "Oh I can assure you that you are one of the highlights of my day, Kili, along with the librarian intern I met."

Kili  
"I'm glad that I've been able to brighten up your day." Their meals finally arrive and thankfully, it is exactly what they ordered. "What are you planning to do later?"

Lyndheid  
" I don't really know. I don't fancy going back to my flat. I dread to think what my flatmates have been doing in my absence."

Kili  
"Are they really that bad?"

Lyndheid  
" I'm afraid so."

Kili  
He thought for a moment. "I do need someone to look after my puppy while I work. Would you like to do that for me?"

Lyndheid  
"I think a puppy would be much better company than my flat mates! I would love to."

Kili  
"Excellent! When we finish our meal, we can go back to my place if you want to. I hope he hasn't made too much of a mess."

Lyndheid  
She smiles nervously, wondering what she had just agreed to...

Kili  
He eats the rest of his meal, studying his companion and he wonders what he could do to put her at ease.

Lyndheid  
She finishes as much of her meal as she can, but her nervousness stops her from clearing her plate and she pushes the plate aside. "I'm done. We can go when you're ready."

Kili  
He looks at his watch to check the time. "I must be getting home, Lyndheid. My gig is starting in a couple of hours. I hope you don't think I'm being rude if I don't stay around."

Lyndheid  
"I wouldn't think that. Where do you live?" She gets up out of her seat and waits for him.

Kili  
He gets up from his seat as he answers her question. "It's quite unusual, really. I live in a canal boat on the river. It's quite peaceful there and it is a good place for me to work on my compositions when I'm not with the other members of my band. One of the best things about it is that if my neighbours are a nuisance, I can just leave and I can go to other places on the canal. The only problem is that space is quite limited."

Lyndheid  
"That is unusual. But I think anything would be better than that flat I'm currently living in. At least you have privacy."

Kili  
" That is true, but it is lonely at times, which is why I adopted the puppy."

Lyndheid  
"Dogs are great company. I was thinking of going down to the local animal rescue centre in the morning to see if they need any volunteers. It's in part because one of my professors wants me to do it, but there is a sheepdog I am interested in, but nothing will come of it, though because I can't keep animals where I'm living now."

Kili  
He feels sorry for the young woman. All of her problems seemed to go back to the place where she was living, but he didn't know how he could help her.

Lyndheid  
" I am sure that it will sort itself out, eventually. How far away is it?"

Kili  
"It's not far now. We're almost there. " As they walked along the canal, they passed many boats that were occupied. He stopped out side one which had a motorcyle parked nearby.

Lyndheid  
She looks at the bike, impressed. "I bet when we go inside there, I'll find a load of custom bike magazines strewn all over the place. I'm guessing the bike is yours?"

Kili "You guess right. It is mine. I just like to mess around with them. The bikes which some people come up with are really amazing but for me, it's just a hobby. Music is my main interest." He carefully gets onto the boat by the door to the cabin and beckons her to join him. "Be careful with your step. I don't want you falling into the water."

Lyndheid  
She looks at him nervously.. "I do have a tendency to be clumsy at times."

Kili He grins at her. Don't worry. I'll make sure that you don't fall in. [He reaches out in an effort to assist her across the gap on to the canal boat.

Lyndheid  
Takes a deep breath, anticipating that she is going to make a complete fool of herself and end up sleeping with the fishes. She takes his offered hands and attempts to step on to the boat, misses the gap and SPLASH! Ends up in the water.

Kili  
His grip on her wrists slips and he jumps back on to the bank. "I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

Lyndheid  
It is fortunate that she finds such situations hilarious and has to stifle her laughter. "I'm fine, but I could do with some help to get out of this. And don't blame yourself for it."

Kili  
He kneels down and attempts to help her out of the canal.

Lyndheid  
With his help, she gets out of the water and sits exhausted on the bank. She grins at him. "We should try that again."

Kili  
He grins at back at her. "You'll need a change of clothes. I probably have something you can borrow."

Lyndheid  
She grins at him in an embarrassed fashion. "That would be good. Thank you."

Kili  
[He gets up and gallantly offers his hand to help her to her feet.

Lyndheid  
She smiles at him and accepts his help and looks across at the canal boat in trepidation, hoping that she doesn't end up with the blooming Pisces again...

Kili  
He hops back across to the canal boat like someone used to the action and give her encouragement. "Come across, Lyndheid."

Lyndheid  
She hesitates… " I just don't want to end up falling in there again. Once is enough...."

Kili  
He tries to reassure her. "I won't let you fall in." He extends his arms again to assist her.

Lyndheid  
She takes hold of his hands and carefully steps across. She does over balance a little bit and awkwardly ends up in his arms.

Kili  
His heart beat speeds up a little as he holds her in his arms. He can tell from the tension in her body that she is uncomfortable and lets her go before taking out his keys and unlocking the door. He goes in first and the puppy greets him.

Lyndheid  
She's glad of the appearance of the puppy because he's a welcome distraction from the presence of Kili.

Kili  
The puppy runs past him and greets the young woman. He looks around and sees that the puppy has made a bit of a mess. "I shall have to clean that up! It is why I didn't want him left alone here. I'll just go through to my bedroom and get you some dry clothes that you can change into."

Lyndheid  
"I can clean up for you if you want. You need to get ready for your gig." She gently picks up the puppy and he licks her face, making her laugh.

Kili  
"Thank you. It would be helpful. " He disappears into his bedroom and his gone for several minutes while he looks for something suitable for her to wear.

Lyndheid  
She plays with the puppy while she waits for him to get her some clothes. "What have you named him?"

Kili  
He only just hears her from his bedroom. "I've called him Fundin."

Lyndheid  
She walks over to the bedroom, passing through the sitting area and the kitchen. "I think the name suits him."

Kili  
He hands her a random t-shirt with a metal band on it and some jogging bottoms. "I hope these fit you and you can change in the bedroom." He walks past her, very conscious of how close they were in the narrow space and gives her the privacy she needs.

Lyndheid  
She puts Fundin down and lets him go. She then goes into the bedroom proper and closes the door behind her. All of her clothes are saturated and as she takes her clothes off, she is filled with amusement when she thinks what it might look to anyone who visited and saw her clothes lying around. The situation is innocent, but so awkward at the same time.

Kili  
While Lyndheid is getting changed, he takes Fundin outside so that he can have a run on the grass. He makes sure that he's on his lead. He checks his watch and sees that it is getting quite late. After a few minutes he takes Fundin back inside.

Lyndheid  
She finishes dressing and opens the door before exiting the bedroom.

Kili  
"I've got to be going now. I should be back around 11.30."

Lyndheid  
"That's fine. Have a good time." She smiles at him. After the events of the day, she feels exhausted and will probably end up going to sleep as soon as he leaves, but she tries to make a show of being alert.

Kili  
"You can make yourself at home while I'm gone. I don't mind at all." He retrieves his base guitar and heads for the door. "I'll see you later."

Lyndheid  
She flashes him a shy smile.] Bye. [When he has gone, she looks thorough the DVDs, discovers a that he has the the Original Star Wars Trilogy. She decides to watch that. Before she settles down on the couch, she picks up Fundin gently and sits down with him on her lap. He quickly falls asleep. The tiredness that has been over coming her wins the battle and she is asleep before R2-D2 and C-3PO are on the surface of Tattoine, snoring gently.

Kili  
He meets up with the other band members at the Corporation about half an hour before they are due to go on stage. He hopes that the fact that he's had no time to practice doesn't affect the way he plays tonight.

Lyndheid  
The film continues to play as she sleeps. Not even the end of the closing credits wake her because she's that exhausted.

Kili  
He heads home from the Corporation, stopping off on the way at a supermarket that is open 24 hours a day and picks up some supplies for breakfast. He doesn't know what Lyndheid would like, so he makes an educated guess and picks up a melon. He also picks up some dog food for Fundin and some bacon for the crow that hangs around the boat. He checks his phone and sees that there is a message from the vets about an appointment for Fundin's parvo and distemper vaccinations which is due tomorrow.

Lyndheid  
Fundin wakes up and jumps down on to the floor. She wakes up briefly and lies down on the couch because she is still completely exhausted. After a while, Fundin jumps back up on to the couch and lays down, with his head resting on her arm and falls asleep, snoring softly.

Kili  
He returns home to find Lyndheid asleep with Fundin curled up beside her on the couch. It's cold out and he drapes a blanket over her. He doesn't have the heart to wake her up from her sleep. He notices that the tv and dvd player is on and he turns them off. "Poor lass must really be tired. " He murmurs to himself. He puts his purchases away and goes to bed himself, thinking about the lass fast asleep on his couch.

Lyndheid  
She wakes up as dawn light begins to stream in through the windows, but it is still quite dark. The day is over cast and there is the threat of snow in the air. She shivers, thinking that she really does need to get back to her flat.

Kili  
Wakes up and quite forgetting that he has company, he strolls out of his bedroom wearing a pair of shorts.

Lyndheid  
She turns her head as she hears him come in. "Er.... Haven't you forgotten something?" She tries to hide an embarrassed smile.

Kili  
"Oh I'm sorry." He ducked back into his room and pulled on the nearest shirt he could find, which happened to be the one from the night before.

Lyndheid  
She finds that she is quite hungry. "Kili, what do you have for breakfast? I'm hungry."

Kili  
"There should be something in the fridge. I didn't know what you would like so you can have a look for yourself."

Kili  
"But the bacon is for a crow that comes around in the mornings."

Lyndheid  
She looks at him curiously. "A crow? Is he a pet or something?"

Kili  
He chuckled... "A pet? No, of course not! I was walking in the park one lunch time. It was quiet and I'd just bought a sandwich from a local shop and stopped to eat it. When I was nearly finished, I head a rustle of wings behind me and turned around saw the crow. He seemed hungry and I thought it quite bold of him so I fed him. He's been visiting me ever since."

Lyndheid  
"That's interesting. I'll have to make a note of it and tell my professor about it. He might be interested in it."

Kili  
There was a load cawing outside. "He's here. I'd better get the grill on." He went into the fridge and took out the bacon and a melon. He passed the melon to her. "I'm sorry, Lyndheid. There's not an awful lot in there. I don't normally cook for myself. I usually eat out quite a lot."

Lyndheid  
[She takes the melon gratefully. "I hardly ever get the chance to do that, I'm afraid. Eating out round here is expensive. So I have to cook my own meals most of the time, unless I visit my aunt but she's no cook, or my sister. It's why it annoys me a lot when my flatmates raid my food.

Kili  
He turns the grill on and waits for it to warm up. "All I can do is boil an egg, grill a bit of bacon, make coffee and tea and burn toast! " He laughs. "What does your aunt and sister do?"

Lyndheid  
"My aunt is a mechanic. I think you'll like talking with her about motor bikes. My sister keeps horses and sheepdogs. My mother was a vet before she died and trained sheepdogs. My father looked after horses."

Kili  
"That does explain why you choose the occupation that you have." The crow continues to caw outside. "Eh, he's getting impatient! So let me get this straight, you cook, need a quiet place to sleep and study. I could do with some company and I need someone to look after Fundin…"

Lyndheid  
She pretends to focus on the melon and not on his statement, even if what he had said was true and she attempts to change the subject... "Do you have any plans for today?"

Kili  
"I have to take Fundin to the vets so that he can get his vaccinations."

Lyndheid  
" I have to go down to the animal rescue centre later on today. I have a volunteering spot there and then I have to go down the natural history museum. They want someone to help them catalogue their arthropod collection."

Kili  
"Do you have an interest in entomology?"

Lyndheid  
Not as such. Vertebrate life interests me more, but it's a start. If I get a placement there, I might be able to do other things more to my liking later once they know that I am serious about what I want to do."

Kili  
"You're really dedicated to this, aren't you? Don't you have any other goals in your life?"

Lyndheid  
"I might have done, once. Now, science is all I have."

Kili  
He didn't know how to respond to her statement, so he decided to check on the temperature of the grill.

Lyndheid  
She searches around for a knife so she can prepare the melon, finds one and begins to prepare it on the counter top. "I'll have to go back to my flat first, though. I need to change and check on the mess my flatmates have made. The uni has probably fined us again for it being in a mess. It happens on a weekly basis now, near enough…"

Kili  
"Perhaps you should talk to your aunt about it?"

Lyndheid  
"Talk to my aunt? This is my first chance I've had to do what I want with her life. I've nothing against her, but I need make a life for myself. Any problems I have, I must deal with them myself, but there is one thing I need her help with and that cannot be avoided."

Kili  
"What would you need her help with?"

Lyndheid  
" I'd like to adopt one of the dogs down at the animal rescue centre and I can't keep him where I live, so I'll have to ask her if she can take care of him for me."

Kili  
The grill is ready and he begins to cook the bacon and the crow continues to caw loudly outside....

Lyndheid  
She finishes cutting the melon up. "Would you like some of this, Kili?"

Kili  
"Oh sure. Just save me some."

Lyndheid  
She puts some to one side for him. "When have you got to be at the vets with Fundin?"

Kili  
" The appointment is not until 11.30 this morning, so we have plenty of time. The vet's sectary seemed really nice when I spoke to her on the phone."

Lyndheid  
" That's good. Would you like me to go with you?"

Kili  
"No. I think I can handle it myself. You have other things to do."

Lyndheid  
"You're right of course. I'd just thought I'd ask."

Kili  
He finishes cooking the bacon and puts some of it to one side to cool. He looks down at Fundin and grins. "I think it's time you had your breakfast." He opens a can of puppy food and scoops it into his bowl before placing it on the floor for him. Fundin gobbles it down enthusiastically.

Lyndheid  
She grins as she watches Fundin eat his breakfast, thinking of the dog she used to have and eats some of the melon.

Kili  
He makes himself a sandwich with the bacon he has kept for himself and looks at her. "You look thoughtful. Is there anything wrong?"

Lyndheid  
"Oh, nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about something. It's nothing, really."

Kili  
"Are you sure, Lyndheid?"

Lyndheid  
"I'm sure, Kili. I was just thinking about a dog I used to have."

Kili  
He smiles at her. "If you're sure…"

Lyndheid  
"I am, thanks for asking." She looks out of the window and sees that the weather is turning for the worse. "I think I'd better get back to my flat soon. I don't like the look of those clouds."

Kili  
He looks out the window to see what she is looking at. "It doesn't look good at all. Those clouds look like they are full of snow."

Lyndheid  
"That's what I was thinking. Fortunately, my flat isn't that far from here and we can walk."

Kili  
He smiles at her, after finishing his breakfast. "I don't mind walking you there if you like."

Lyndheid  
"That would be nice, thank you, Kili."

Kili  
"It's no problem at all, Lyndheid." He smiles at her.

Lyndheid  
She looks at the mess Fundin made during the night, and grins at him. "I think we'd best clean up this mess first before we go anywhere and do you have a hoodie or something that I can borrow for a while? My clothes are still soaked from my dip in the canal yesterday…"

Kili  
He suppresses a grin, unsure if she would take it the right way or not. "Aye. No problem. I've got something. I'll go fetch it and we can clean up the mess before we go out."

Lyndheid  
"That sounds like a good plan, Kili."

Kili  
He fetches her a Sonata Arctica hoodie which he'd only just bought a few weeks ago but hadn't tried on yet, before he cleans up after Fundin.

Lyndheid  
She takes the hoodie from him. "Thanks, Kili."

Kili  
"Right...shall we go, Lyndheid?"

Lyndheid  
"Yeah..Alright." She finishes getting ready and gently picks up Fundin. "Do you want to take him with us?"

Kili  
"Aye. I can't leave him here, really. I need to let him out anyway. I'll just feed the crow first of all and then we can go."

Lyndheid  
" If we leave him, he'll probably make a mess again."

Kili  
He sighs... "That is true. " He feeds the crow and finishes getting ready and clips a lead on to him. "I'll go first and you can pass him to me. " He suppresses a grin..." Just don't fall in this time!"

Lyndheid  
She laughs. "It was fun, though.."

Kili  
He chuckles… "That is one way of looking at it." He opens the door and walks on to the deck and carefully hops over on to the bank of the canal. "I'm ready for him, Lynd...."

Lyndheid  
She carefully hands Fundin over to him.

Kili  
He takes Fundin from her and secures him at a nearby lamp post and attempts to help her across.

Lyndheid  
She takes his hands in hers and carefully steps across. She notices that her shoes are still saturated from the day before and feels the cold all the more because of it.

Kili  
He helps her across, and grins at her as he does so.

Lyndheid  
She stumbles a little as she falls forwards into him." Urgh... I'm so clumsy…"

Kili  
He catches her and has the overwhelming urge to kiss her but he's not sure how she would take it, so he doesn't.

Lyndheid  
For a moment, she thought that he was going to kiss her and feels disappointment when he doesn't.

Kili  
He's missed his moment and feels a little foolish for not being bolder. He lets her go and fetches Fundin. He picks him up. "I have to carry him when I take him outdoors until he's had his vaccinations. Are you alright, Lynd?"

Lyndheid  
"I'm fine, thanks, Kili. It's a bit slippy underfoot…"

Kili  
"You carry Fundin for me and I'll help you along. I won't let you slip if I can help it." He passes Fundin to her.

Lyndheid  
She takes the puppy from him. "Thank you, Kili."

Kili  
He takes her free arm, quite enjoying her closeness to him. "It's no problem, Lynd."

Lyndheid  
"She leans into him as they walk along. It's not as bad as she thought, the ice, but she's still as careful as possible. I would like to go for a ride on your motor bike at some point. I've always wanted to do that, but my aunt would never let me have one of my own."

Kili  
He gives her a warm smile. "We can do that, Lynd. There's some really nice countryside around here which I think you'll like But we would have to drop Fundin off somewhere as we won't be able to take him with us and I don't like leaving him on his own."

Lyndheid  
" I would like that, Kili. It sounds fun." The first flakes of snow begin to fall as they walk along and she shivers. "But we will have to wait until we get better weather."

Kili  
"Aye. It would be daft to go for a bike ride in this, but I do look forward to it all the same. How far do we have to go?"

Lyndheid  
" It's not far from here. I live in one of the modern flats not at one of the colleges. My aunt could never have afforded that and even with my sister's help, it would have been impossible since all her income goes on caring for her horses."

Kili  
"I know what you mean. I used to have a pony when I was a boy. She did take a lot of caring for. I don't have time now to do that properly, but I do miss having one."

Lyndheid  
She smiles. "They are wonderful animals. When the weather has cleared up, maybe we could go see my sister and go riding."

Kili  
He grins at her, liking the idea. "It will be good to be around horses again. It's been too long. Yeah, we should go and see her when we get the chance to do so, Lynd."

Lyndheid  
"It will be fun, Kili. She has a nice Icelandic mare which I like to ride when I visit her."

Kili  
A block of student flats comes within view. "Are you in that block?"

Lyndheid  
"Aye that's the block. I'll be glad to get in though. My feet are frozen because my shoes were still wet from yesterday."

Kili  
"Would you like me to swing by and pick you up later? Which flat are you in?"

Lyndheid  
She grins at the thought of seeing him later. "I'd like that. I can show you which flat I'm in. You can have a cup of tea with me if you like. That's if there's any tea left and my flatmates haven't wrecked the place."

Kili  
He grins, mischievously... "I'll have to smuggle Fundin in. You won't get into trouble, will you?"

Lyndheid  
She laughs... "With the state my flatmates keep the place in? Unlikely anyone would notice and I think Fundin would make less of a mess!"

Kili  
"Let's go and see what disaster awaits us, shall we? Give me Fundin so I can hide him inside my coat, just in case…"

Lyndheid  
She passes Fundin to him. "I must warn you, they are like animals....No offense to Fundin, but the stables where my sister keeps her horses are much tidier and cleaner than them and the horses themselves are less maintenance!"

Kili  
He laughs at her assessment of her flatmates and hides Fundin inside his coat. "Lead the way, Lynd…"

Lyndheid  
She smiles when he calls her Lynd because she likes to hear him say her name. She leads him to the stairwell of her flat. "It's quite a climb I'm afraid. I'm on the third floor." She takes out her key and unlocks the door to be greeted by a stairwell filled with leaflets strewn all over the place for some stupid nightclub with a bad reputation for trouble among the students... "Uggh.... So they got in again.."

Kili  
"So this wasn't done by your flatmates?" He looked around at the mess in shock...

Lyndheid  
" No. We sometimes have leafleters come around and they make the mess. I don't know why they think it would make people want to go to their venues, giving how much mess they make…"

Kili  
"That's why I like living where I do - it gives me some peace from such things."

Lyndheid  
" I know." She begins to climb the stairs, hoping that he follows her. Outside, the snow has begun to fall quite thickly.

Kili  
He follows her and it's quite a long climb, but he manages to get to the top without running out of breath.

Lyndheid  
She unlocks the door and opens it, dreading what she will find when she steps inside...

Kili  
"Is everything alright, Lynd?"

Lyndheid  
She looks at the mess before she answers him and fumes... "It's no worse than usual. At least none of them appears to up yet. I'd offer you something, but you'd run the risk of food poisoning…"

Kili  
He laughs." It can't be that bad, can it?"

Lyndheid  
"Take a look in there, and you'll see for yourself...but I wouldn't advise it." She indicates the kitchen... "But I suppose I'll have to clean it up later or at least make it not look as bad."

Kili  
He looks inside the kitchen and whistles at the mess. "Well, I wish you luck with that...."

Lyndheid  
"I take it by your tone that you aren't going to help me with that?"

Kili  
He grins at her in a cheeky fashion. "That's right, since I'm not responsible for it…"

Lyndheid  
"And I thought that you would be a gentleman and help…" She grins back at him.

Kili  
"I'm no gentleman...At least, not where everything is concerned…"

Lyndheid  
"Now that gets me intrigued. Is that your way of saying that you want to…"

Kili  
Tries to think of a way to change the subject... "So what time would you like me to come round later?"

Lyndheid  
"Would seven pm be alright with you?"

Kili  
"I'll be around then. I just hope that the weather doesn't get any worse in the mean time."

Lyndheid  
She looks out the kitchen window in trepidation. "Same here."

Kili  
"Do you think the animal rescue centre would want you to go in today? It's getting quite nasty out there."

Lyndheid  
"I shall have to go in. I don't know who's been able to get in and the animals need caring for."

Kili  
He admires her dedication to the care of the animals. "It would be best to phone them first, to see if they need you there." He didn't like the thought of her traversing through the snow.

Lyndheid  
"That would be a good idea. I'll ring them to make sure they don't need me." She dials their number on her mobile which she'd left on her desk in her room yesterday. She speaks to the manager and he would like her to go in as they are short-staffed. "No such luck, I'm afraid. They need me to go in."

Kili  
" I'll see you later, then, and I'll still come round later. Just be careful out there." He leaves, and wonders what he could do to make her feel better later on.

Lyndheid  
She sighs, missing him already. When he has gone, she changes into some warm clothes and puts on the boots she normally wears when she's doing field work. They should help her keep her footing. She puts on a heavy coat to keep out the chill and goes out to catch the bus to the animal rescue centre.

Kili  
He checks his phone for the time and sees that there is still some time until the appointment at the vets. He decides to go to the comic shop he visits regularly and they have no objections to him bringing Fundin in as it is cold outside and it's no place to leave a puppy. He mentally kicks himself for not getting her number...After browsing the shelves for a few minutes, he picks out some Marvel graphic novels (Wolverine, Spider-man and Thor to be exact) and he sees a book which he thinks Lynd would like, after taking a quick glance at the DVD she tried watching the night before. He hopes that she hasn't got it already. He pays for his purchases and the shop assistant puts them carefully in his bag to keep the snow off them.

Lyndheid  
The bus is late because of the weather and it is almost lunch time by the time she gets there. She wonders how Kili got on at the vets with Fundin. She has no time to spend with the dog she's interested in as all the dogs need feeding. There is one dog which came in just as she arrived which the manager is caring for because she was almost dead from the cold after being left out in the garden for weeks on end. This ruined her day completely and she hopes that it will be better with Kili later on and that the poor dog survives to see the morning.

Kili  
He takes Fundin to the vets for his vaccination and a health check. While he is waiting in the reception, he talks to a mother with two children in tow bringing in their hamster, an elderly gentleman with a beautiful dalmatian, and an eccentric middle-aged woman with an iguana. The vet he sees is quite eccentric himself and wouldn't be out of place working in rural Yorkshire. His enthusiasm for animals is quite infectious and he leaves in a good mood.

Lyndheid  
The manager lets her leave early and thanks her for helping out. She's exhausted and when she gets back to her flat, she only has enough time to go in the shower before it is time for Kili to pick her up. She hopes that she's not too ragged looking and mentally kicks herself as it's never bothered her before.

Kili  
After leaving the vets, he goes back home and spends the rest of the afternoon writing a composition he want to share with the rest of his band the next time they meet up. When it gets to six pm, he calls it a day and goes round to Lynd's place. He decides to go early so that he gets there in good time.

Lyndheid  
She looks through her clothes and picks out a wooly jumper to put over her t-shirt to try and keep out the cold and puts on some jeans after her shower. She picks out one of her biology text books and starts to read as she waits, occasionally checking the time.

Kili  
He gets to Lyndheid's flat, amazingly without slipping on any ice and, nervously presses the buzzer for her flat.

Lyndheid  
She hears the buzzer and puts a book mark in her place and gets up to answer it. It is a little early...Could it be Kili? She enters the hallway and picks up the receiver. "Hello? Lyndheid here…"

Kili  
He smiles as he hears her voice. "Hello Lynd. It's me, Kili. Are you ready?"

Lyndheid  
"Yeah, just give me a few minutes, Kili. I need to pack my laptop and some books. I hope you don't mind. It's in case we can't go anywhere in the morning and I need to do some work."

Kili  
"That's no problem, Lynd. I have to work on my music anyway but I think for tonight we should relax."

Lyndheid  
"Aye, you're right. Do you want to get something from the chippy? I've not eaten yet."

Kili  
"We can pick something up on the way if you like." He shivers in the snow, hoping that she won't be long. "Er, Lynd, can you be- quick? I'm freezing out here…"

Lyndheid  
"Sure. I won't be long, Kili." She puts the receiver back and goes into her room to pack her laptop and a few books. She remembers at the last minute to pack her mobile, and a few personal items. She puts on her walking boots and her long winter coat and goes down to meet him.

Kili  
He enfolds her in a hug when she appears at the door and kisses her cheek because he's missed her company.

Lyndheid  
She kisses him back on the lips, her heart pounding in her head as she does so.

Kili  
He deepens the kiss, and he's glad that he doesn't appear to have made a mistake with her like he had feared he would. His heart begins to pound in his chest with excitement and he forgets the winter cold at his back.

Lyndheid

She enjoys the kiss and his embrace, and only breaks off when she runs out of breath, disappointed that the moment has passed.

Kili  
He smiles at her warmly, and with the feeling that he can't wait to kiss her again. "Would you like be to carry that for you, Lynd?" He indicates her bag.

Lyndheid  
"Thanks, Kili, but I think I can manage it. Where's Fundin and did everything go alright at the vets?"

Kili  
"Everything went fine. He's healthy and he's had his injections. He's at home right now, sleeping."

Lyndheid  
"I'm glad. He must be tired out, poor thing. Let's get those chips. I'm starving…"

Kili  
"There's a chippy not far from here, but it'll mean that we take the long way round to my place."

Lyndheid  
"It's no problem at all. It's not the cold or the snow that bothers me, but the ice."

Kili  
"It's not to bad at the moment." He takes her arm.

Lyndheid  
"I think I know the one you mean. I sometimes go there when I don't feel like cooking anything. Their cod is good."

Kili  
"Aye. I think I'll have one of their pies to go with mine. I'm not much of a fish fan."

Lyndheid  
"You don't like fish? How come?"

Kili  
"I had a bad experience with food poisoning once. It was a bad tuna sandwich."

Lyndheid  
"I don't blame you then. There are some foods which I don't touch."

Kili  
As they get near the chippy, he turns to her. "You'll have to let me know what you can't eat if we're going to spend time with each other. I'll get a large portion which we can share and a pie and the cod. Is there anything else you'd like?"

Lyndheid  
She thinks for a moment or two. "Perhaps some appleade or something similar."

Kili  
"I'll see if they have it." He goes inside the chippy and there is quite a wait as they need to finish cooking the cod and the chips. He hopes Lyndheid is not getting too cold waiting outside.

Lyndheid  
She shivers as she waits, and the snow starts to fall again. It is quite thick and she notices that their foot prints are beginning to fill up.

Kili  
He starts to get a little impatient, but things like this cannot be rushed. He looks outside the window and sees the weather getting worse and beckons Lyndheid inside.

Lyndheid

She goes inside the chippy. "This seems to be taking a while."

Kili  
He grins at her. "Aye. It's your cod that we're waiting for."

Lyndheid  
"It will be worth it, I'm sure, Kili."

Kili  
After several more minutes, their order is ready and he collects it from the assistant. "Time to brave the snow again."

Lyndheid

"Aye. I'll be glad when we're at your boat."

Kili  
He grins at her. "It's a barge, Lynd…" He stifles laughter.

Lyndheid  
"I do believe that you are making fun of me."

Kili  
"Making fun of you? Why would I want to do that?"

Lyndheid  
"I don't know. It just seemed like you were, that's all."

Kili  
"Well, lets just get out of this weather shall we? You said that you were hungry earlier."

Lyndheid  
"Aye, and frozen to the bone…"

Kili  
He grins at her in a cheeky fashion before replying. "Well, I'm sure I can find ways of warming you up once we get home, Lynd."

Lyndheid  
She briefly considers scooping up some snow, turn it into a snowball and throw it at him, but she remembers her laptop in her bag and thinks better of it. Perhaps later... "Aye, I bet you can at that…"

Kili  
Awkward silence for a while as they walk along in the snow. He hopes he's not said anything untoward to her...

Lyndheid  
She almost slips on some ice.

Kili  
"He catches her in his arms before she hits the floor, but almost drops their tea.] Some of the snow here must have melted and refroze. Are you alright, Lynd?"

Lyndheid  
"I will be, once we get out of this snow…"

Kili  
"Ah don't worry, Lynd. We're almost there."

Lyndheid  
"Good. I can't get out of this cold fast enough…"

Kili  
They walk until the light of the barge can be seen in the swirling snow. "I left the light on so that we could find our way back here easier. There is another way onto the barge which is easier. Come on."

Lyndheid  
"You could have shown me yesterday, before I took an unscheduled swim…"

Kili  
"Yeah... I'm sorry about that, Lynd…"

Lyndheid  
"I should have been more careful, Kili."

Kili  
He unlocks a side hatch into the barge and climbs in. "Pass me your bag, Lynd."

Lyndheid  
She passes him the bag and trying not to get herself tangled up in her long coat, climbs inside after him. She rubs her hands together to warm them up after being out in the cold for so long, and her fingers are quite numb.

Kili  
He notices that her hands are cold and he takes her hands in his own. He rubs them to warm them up and as he does so, his eyes meet hers and before he knows it, his lips are meeting hers again in a deep kiss.

Lyndheid  
The kiss takes her breath away, but in spite of that, she enjoys every second of it. She entwines her fingers with his. "Kili" She whispers.

Kili  
A ball of fur bumps into him, which causes him to interrupt the kiss and he looks down and grins. "Fundin! I'd best shut the hatch before all the heat escapes."

Lyndheid  
"Of course." She sidesteps to give him the room he needs to close the hatch behind her. She takes her coat off and hangs it up in the bedroom. As she does so, she notices something on the bedside cabinet and she picks it up.

Kili  
He closes the hatch and bends down to pet Fundin. He wags his tail and yips at him. "Lynd?"

Lyndheid  
I was just taking my coat off. [She emerges from the bedroom and shows him what is in her hand.] What are you doing with these?

Kili  
He mumbles something unintelligible and begins to take out the wrapped packages from the carrier bag, as a distraction.

Lyndheid  
She puts the item down on the counter. "Fine, don't tell me. Where are the plates?"

Kili  
He glances at her. "Just a moment and I'll get them for you. " He opens the door of a cupboard and passes her the plates.

Lyndheid  
She takes the plates from him and her attention becomes focused on the cod and chips. "Thanks, Kili."

Kili  
He begins to unwrap the package which has the chips in. "Can you hold out the plate, please, Lynd?"

Lyndheid  
She passes the plate to him. "Has Fundin been fed yet?"

Kili  
"I fed him before I went out to fetch you. You don't have to worry about him."

Lyndheid  
"That's good." She bends down to stroke him.

Kili  
He glances at her interacting with the puppy and grins, before turning back to the chips and placing a couple of handfuls on the plate, trying not to burn his fingers. "Is this enough for you, Lynd?"

Lyndheid  
"Aye. I think that will do. What about the cod?"

Kili  
He unwraps it for her. "I question if this is a cod. It looks like it has the proportions of a small whale…" He grinned at her.

Lyndheid  
"Aye. I don't think I can eat all of that. We could put what I leave out to see if we attract a fox."

Kili  
"I would like to see that." He takes a knife and cuts the cod in half and places it on her plate. He then sees to his own chips his pie. "Shall we eat?"

Lyndheid  
"Yeah. I'm starving, Kili." She gives him a warm smile, but butterflies are fluttering around in her stomach and it feels like they are dancing in there. She's not sure how much she can eat.

Kili  
He passes her a knife and fork from the drawer and takes a set himself and sits down on the couch where she had slept the night before.

Lyndheid  
She sits down beside him on the couch and begins to eat, starting with the cod.

Kili  
"Before I went to the vets with Fundin, I went to the comic shop today. Do you read them? You seem to like Star Wars…"

Lyndheid  
She blushes a little. "Aye. I was going to watch it last night while you were out, but I fell asleep as I was exhausted."

Kili  
"We could watch it tonight if you like." He grins at her.

Lyndheid  
"I would like that. There is nothing better when the weather is so awful outside."

Kili  
"Aye. I'll put it on after we've had tea." He dug into his pie.

Lyndheid  
She begins to attack her cod. "This cod is great. Are you sure you don't want any of it?"

Kili  
"Aye, I am sure, Lynd."

Lyndheid  
"Suit yourself. How's the pie?"

Kili  
"It's fine, but there's too many chips."

Lyndheid  
"I've noticed that too. Your crow will have a feast in the morning."

Kili  
He smiles to himself. "Aye, he will at that." He continues to eat his chips."

Lyndheid  
She eats what is left of her cod and starts on her chips. She's almost full.

Kili  
He finishes his chips and gets up to put his plate on the counter. "Have you finished, Lynd?"

Lyndheid  
"Just about." She holds the plate out to him for him to take.

Kili  
He takes the plate from her and puts the plates on the counter. He disappears into the bedroom to fetch   
something.

Lyndheid  
She wonders why he has gone, and gets up to follow him.

Kili  
He hears her footsteps as he reaches inside a drawer and gets out the comics he bought earlier and something in a carrier bag. He grins at her when he sees her in the doorway. "Oh come in, Lynd. I have something for you." He sits down on his bed.

Lyndheid  
She enters the bedroom and sits down at the bottom of the bed. "Oh?" She looks at him in surprise, not   
expecting it at all.

Kili  
He passes her the concealed package and flashes her a smile. "I hope you like it."

Lyndheid  
She accepts the bag and returns his smile. "So...what is it, Kili? Are you going to tell me, or do I have   
to guess what it is?"

Kili  
"I hope you don't have it yet. They had the latest Star Wars hardback in and I thought that you would like it because you had A New Hope in the DVD player last night."

Lyndheid  
She grins as she takes it out of the bag and looks at it. Her eyes light up. "Nope. I don't have this one yet."

Kili  
"I chose well, then, didn't I? We could read if you want, instead of watching the film."

Lyndheid  
"That sounds like a good idea. Do you have a book mark?"

Kili  
"I should have one here somewhere." He rummages around in the open drawer and pulls one out and gives it to her. "Would you like some hot chocolate? I like to drink it on days like this."

Lyndheid  
"I would like that Kili, thank you."

Kili  
Fundin comes into the bed room and he gently picks the puppy up and places him on the bed. "I'll be back in a few minutes.

Lyndheid  
She takes off her shoes and makes herself comfortable before opening the book and begins to read.

Kili  
He makes the hot chocolate and hums happily to himself while he's doing it, enjoying his time with her.

Lyndheid  
She continues to read her book, content for the first time in ages. She can't remember the last time she   
felt so happy.

Kili  
He finishes making the hot chocolate and carries the mugs into the bedroom. He places them on the cabinet beside the bed. He sits down beside her. "You look like you're enjoying it."

Lyndheid  
She comes to the end of the current chapter she's reading, marks her place and puts the book to one side. "I am. Thank you for buying the book for me, Kili."

Kili  
"I just wanted to do something nice for you." He passes her one of the mugs of hot chocolate.

Lyndheid  
She accepts the hot chocolate. "Have you read any of the comics yet?"

Kili  
"Not yet. I was busy composing this afternoon. I'm working on a song which I want to play to the band to see what they think the next time we get together."

Lyndheid  
"Have you almost finished it yet?"

Kili  
He shakes his head and tests his hot chocolate to see if it is still too hot to drink and it is. "It's coming along slowly. Sometimes, writing a piece of music is so easy and it writes itself. I love it when that happens. At other times I just can't seem to be able to write anything at all. It is like that now. It will come to me though. Taking a break usually works and well, I'm enjoying the evening with you."

Lyndheid

She warms her hands on her mug of hot chocolate. "That reminds me of my studies, especially when it comes to biochemistry It takes quite a lot of effort sometimes to understand it, and some things I will never understand fully, but there's still a lot of fun in trying to understand it and when something becomes clear and certain, it's the best feeling in the world."

Kili  
He smiles at her thoughtfully. "That is how it is for me, when I find the perfect combination of musical notes."

Lyndheid  
Like she's feeling right now, she thought... "Kili, I ah...always thought that I would have to find another   
scientist to really connect with them and understand them. I never expected to find that in a musician."

Kili  
"You didn't? Maybe you try to take a too logical approach to things, Lynd. Sometimes it doesn't work."

Lyndheid   
She laughs a little. "Meeting you as I did was purely chance. Logic? What was logical about that? It defies   
logic."

Kili  
He takes a sip of his hot chocolate, finding that it has cooled down enough for him now. "Aye, but a good meeting. I don't regret it one bit."

Lyndheid  
She yawns. "Neither do I. I think it's the best chance meeting I've ever had. I'm sorry. It was a difficult day at the rescue centre and I've suddenly become sleepy. I'll drink this and try to get some sleep, if you don't mind."

Kili  
"Thinking about it, I'm quite tired myself. I'll just have Fundin out after I finish this and you can get ready for bed."

Lyndheid  
She drinks her hot chocolate, now that it has cooled, and strokes Fundin's head.

Kili  
He finishes his hot chocolate and waits for her to finish hers.

Lyndheid  
She finishes it. "That was an excellent hot chocolate, Kili." She smiles at him in appreciation.

Kili  
"I'm glad you liked it." He leans across and kisses her gently on her lips for a moment before taking hold of the mug.

Lyndheid  
She blushes, considering where they were and she suddenly feels really shy and awkward.

Kili  
"I'm sorry, Lynd, if it was a bit too forward just then. I won't be long." He takes the mugs and goes into the galley and sitting area. He comes back a moment later to retrieve Fundin.

Lyndheid  
She watches him leave before collecting her bag and getting changed into a t-shirt she usually slept in and some shorts She goes through the rest of the nightly ritual in the cramped shower room before settling down in bed.

Kili  
He takes Fundin outside to allow him to do his business. He doesn't allow the little pup to be out there long because he's concerned about him getting too cold so when he's done what he needs to do, he takes him back inside. He dries the pup with a towel and gets ready for bed. He picks up the item that Lynd had found earlier and places back in in it's rightful place and slips into bed beside her.

Lyndheid  
She snuggles up to him contentedly.

Kili  
He smiles and wraps his arms around her, pulling her in close.

Lyndheid  
Feeling content in his arms, she goes to sleep.

Kili  
He relaxes as she sleeps and a restful sleep over takes him.


End file.
